2015: The {Blogging} Year in Review

It’s been an interesting few months since joining a wider community within this wonderful thing we call the blogosphere. In July, my world got way bigger when I “stumbled upon” some information about an upcoming WordPress course in the news area of my WP dashboard. Intrigued, I clicked on the link, which took me to the Blogging University page and, before I knew it, I’d enrolled in Blogging 101. Who knew that by doing so, I’d eventually realize just how isolated I was amid a wonderfully friendly community? The truth was, I’d deprived myself of a whole ‘nother aspect of blogging…silly me!

The course commenced…then, BOOM! Writeful Mind was born. By the time the course ended, I had a blog that had followers! And more comments than any of my other blogs combined! And a Facebook group consisting of fellow bloggers who successfully completed Blogging 101 and glad for the opportunity to keep in touch and continue sharing posts and exchanging feedback. As a result of that positive experience, none of us hesitated to enroll in Blogging 201 and Writing 101 because it would mean learning more about WordPress, meeting new people and, hopefully, bringing new people to the Facebook group. We knew what to expect and it made the subsequent courses more enjoyable. Five months later, Writeful Mind and our great little community continue to grow.

I decided to write my version of a year-end post ~ which includes 10 of Writeful Mind’s Recommended Posts as well as a list of Recommended Blogs.

Recommended Blogs

As mentioned above, I’ve met so many wonderful bloggers that have become my friends. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them all and reading their wonderful blogs. I would now like to take an opportunity to recommend some very special, interesting blogs. I invite you to visit my fellow blogger friends and see why I think they’re so awesome.

Soundtrack of a Photograph ~ Blog created by my friend, Rob. If you love music and photography, you’ll love reading Rob’s posts. He takes one of his beautiful photographs and matches it to a relevant song, based on a personal experience. What you get is a beautiful image and the accompanying music video for a unique audio-visual; the story behind every picture and song is a bonus. It’s a great concept for a blog and a great way to discover new music and the vision of someone I’m sure will have his own Coffee Table Book one day {yes, I’m actively encouraging it!}.

Life From My Point of View ~ This blog’s author is a lovely young lady called Lydia. Her posts are very engaging and real ~ like you’re sitting next to her having an actual conversation. One thing I love is when the author of a blog takes the time to establish a dialogue with his or her readers; Lydia always responds to comments, which shows that she appreciates your visit. It’s more than that because, in the short time I’ve known her, our friendship has evolved and we now email each other when we have the time. She is wise beyond her years and it shows in her posts. Go read for yourself and discover her beautiful soul.

::Focal Heart:: ~ Meet Noémie, originally from France, but now living in the U.K. This wonderful lady and I struck up a friendship over our virtual coffee collaboration posts. I always look forward to her “replies” to me; she’s so interesting and I often wish that our coffee chats weren’t only virtual because I’m sure we would have a blast if we were actually sitting at the same table somewhere. Apart from our coffee chats, she has a great blog in which she shares her family life, amazing photographs, and beautiful knitting projects. Why not visit and say “Bonjour” to Noémie. You’ll be truly uplifted and hitting that subscribe button in no time.

Hints of Indigo ~ A very stylish blog created by Erzë, the fashionista! If you’re looking for some ideas to spruce up your wardrobe, Erzë is your gal. She does pictorials of her outfits, down to the smallest detail and tells you the brand name of the clothing so you know where to buy it. {Whispers: There’s even a post on how to make truffles! And you know you want truffles ~ grin.}

The Thought Card ~ A blog by a beautiful lady, Danielle. When you visit her, you’ll quickly see that she’s all about the adventure, exploring new places and sharing the resulting pictures with her readers. There are also some great posts offering food for thought and practical advice. If you like traveling {even if only vicariously!} and seeing the world through a fresh pair of eyes, visit Danielle. She’s an awesome person whose bubbly personality will hook you from the first post.

ACT Made Lyrical ~ I came to know about this blog by Corinne when she found my Feel-Good Friday event and shared the links to her posts with me. I am constantly inspired by her enthusiasm and so pleased that she enjoys participating in my event. I have enjoyed reading what she does for self-care. She and I have also become friends as a result, which is always a bonus. If you’re in need of self-care, have a look through Corinne’s posts. Truly inspiring.

Atypical 60 ~ I love reading Catherine‘s posts because I can picture her telling the stories in person and I’d be getting my much-needed core workout. This lady knows just how to tell a great story AND she’s mastered the art of doing it in written form. Her wonderfully funny, vibrant personality is evident in every word, sentence, paragraph, photo caption. Her blog is filled with nostalgia, relatable observations, and a gallery of images. I really hope that I have a chance to have coffee with her one day. Go visit! Your core muscles will thank you!

Scribbles & Musings ~ My friend Sandy‘s blog is a mix of sentiment and inspiration, reflected in words and pictures. She is a kind soul who blogs to share relatable parts of her life. What I like about her posts is that she shows her vulnerability and realness in a way that makes me feel comforted, knowing that I’m not alone. In the short time I’ve known her, I have come to consider her a really good friend. Drop by; you’ll be glad you did.

A Lady & Gaming ~ In her blog, Yvonne echoes my sentiment that one’s never too old to play video/console games. I’m right there with her and we all know that the guys love girl gamers of any age. We’re just cool and geeky like that. From early on in our comment exchanges, Yvonne seemed to totally get what I was saying in my posts and our friendship grew from there, particularly when we realized we shared an interest in video games! Visit Yvonne! Embrace your “game geek” self.

DIY Adulation ~ Marie has been nothing but supportive of my cause to help abused women. Just before Domestic Violence Awareness Month happened in October, she approached me to do an interview to help her raise awareness. I was more than happy to do this because forming any alliance against Domestic Violence is a great thing, especially when it gets people talking. After she published the interview, I stuck around on her blog and saw just how great it was. She writes about some really great ideas on many aspects of home and family. There’s so much to look through, but I guarantee you’ll find an idea that makes your life easier. When you first land on her page, you’re greeted by a picture of her displaying her friendly lovely smile before seeing so many interesting posts, you won’t know where to begin. Make sure you have some time because you’ll be there for ages!

Rendezvous En New York ~ If you want an insider’s view of what to do, see and where to go in New York, Trudy‘s your gal! Hers is a lifestyle blog that will tell you all you need to know about the city. I totally believe that the best way to see any city is through the eyes of someone who knows it inside and out. Trudy is such a great person, too. Always helpful and accommodating. Go explore the Big Apple with her and you will see it as you’ve never seen it before.

ExPat in Bacolod ~ Now, Steve and I have the ex-pat bond going on, even though we’re from different countries. He’s originally from the U.K., living in the Philippines; I’m originally from New Orleans and, although I’m back in the New Orleans area, I lived in the U.K. for 16 years. So we know what it’s like to miss our homes, but we also have a lot to talk about when it comes to the things we miss about the U.K. Since Steve and I met through one of the WordPress courses, we’ve become really good friends and have the occasional chat on Facebook. He invited me to do a guest post for him, which I thoroughly enjoyed. He’s so fun to talk to, as long as we avoid certain T.V. shows. It’s great to chat with someone who understands what I miss about England. His blog is an interesting mix of posts, including an interactive one where you comment with what you would have done in an undercover cop situation. I’d never seen a post like that before, but it was fun to do. He’s a very likable, jolly bloke who appreciates his life in his exotic surroundings and that certainly comes across in his blog. Go have a read of his posts and make a great, supportive friend in the process!

I wish I could have included more in my list of recommends, but then my post would be an epic novel in that case!

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish my fellow bloggers and readers a very Merry Christmas and a blessed, prosperous 2016. Here’s to many more wonderful memories to look forward to in the blogosphere, including awesome posts, blog growth, new friends, more WordPress courses and more exciting things to come.

You are welcome, my dear. I am so pleased for the opportunity to know you and look forward to our work together on the FB group. You have already brought so many great ideas to the table. When life settles down for me a lil bit, I’ll catch up on what I’m supposed to be doing. ❤

I cannot wait to check these all out and also, what an awesome idea to do this end of the year blog roundup! Love it- i am especially excited to check out the first blogger and a girl & gaming- thanks for this!!

Carol, rarely am I stuck for words but … OK I’ve now recovered 🙂 thank you for such a personal message in your blog. You are indeed a very special person and a damn good writer to boot! Shame about Corrie though 🙂

Beautiful post! Thank you for sharing some of your recommended blogs, and of course thank you for sharing mine!! I’m very flattered. 😀 I hope your Christmas was very very Merry, and I hope 2016 is a wonderful year for you. 🙂 {hugs and much love!}

Thank you, my dear! We had a good Christmas and I’m looking forward to 2016. It’s going to be a very interesting year. I hope your Christmas was a great one and wish you all the best for a wonderful 2016.